Chat with an LDS missionary

About Me

I am a Mormon and a "fairly" GRANDmother, married since 1969 through eternity, to my best friend & sweetheart, Ray.
We are the parents of 5, (+ one who came through foster care) and grandparents of 17 (+1= her son) with maybe more waiting in heaven.----
I love to share the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the re-established original Christian church= The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints. I like to learn of others beliefs and what Biblical support they have for them. ----
I enjoy interior decorating on a dime, reading & createing medieval costumes. ---
I want to be a blessing in the lives of all I may come in contact with, and have God say "Well done..." when I return to meet Him when my time on Earth is over.

Followers

Thursday, January 26, 2012

When Ray told me that Jacobs email went to Brinn and Rochelle, I realized that I needed to be sure that my witness was also sent to them (and you all). to be sure that you all have at least an opportunity to read my witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in his restored church. I realized that for me to assume that all of you know the things I know and feel, is a wrong assumption. Whether you read any or all of what I share is entirely up to you, but I will have at least done my part.
I am interested in what positive things others have to say about what they believe has had good effects on their life, especially concerning Jesus Christ. What good things such a belief has wrought in their lives and choices, along with what supports they have found for the beliefs. I want to be as open to more truth, from whatever source, as I hope people are to what I have to share.
However, I think for someone to send negative stuff to others--- specifically directed against the others personal faith---, is not a very Christian act, unless there is imminent danger (like the Jones cult) or that is leading them to break the 10 commandments etc. If you are fearful for them, ask THEM ab out your fears, and look at the fruits of their faith, or talk to members in good standing, check non biased historical facts etc. Check out on the web “FAIR LDS” for answers to anti, & I have lots of books too.
In the Bible, I believe Jesus did not denounce the Samaritans, but made one the hero of a parable. I do nor remember (help me out if you find something?) where Jesus or the apostles spoke so much against others doctrines, as against their ACTIONS, and then it was usually when their OWN group was breaking the commandments, that they were called to repentance. The apostles were to go and preach THEIR gospel, but I don't see where they were to rip on others.
If something is the best, and we let others know, they will gravitate to it as they come to see it better than what they have, but the more we denounce others, the harder they will hold on to what they have. What terrible things do others who fight against the church think LDS are doing? What commandments are we teaching others to break? Saul thought he was doing right to persecute the Saints too, as he thought they had corrupted the Jewish faith.
When I went to bed last night, I was assuming that the reason I didn't receive any of email from Jacob was, that he was aware that showering me with anti garbage was a waste of time. I just didn't feel like digging through the negative stuff as I have spent much of my life already doing that and so far it has just been the same “pile of poo”, with maybe a few new blobs, but they seem to come from the same source (Satan), smell as bad and have the same basic substance.
Also it seems, to continue with my allegory, that much of the contents in the negative propaganda I have dealt with, (ripping down LDS and other churches) was never anything new and enriching to start with, but worse than non food, being more like alcohol or tobacco, which was never meant for the belly, though some “consume” such and get physically/emotionally addicted to it which can ruin their lives, here and hereafter if they don't seek to be healed. There is no need to for instance consume red wine to get the good effect of the whole fresh red grapes, as all that is good can begotten without the alcohol produced from turning it into wine.
Such to me is how I think we can go to the scriptures and to God in the teachings of the church for the truth. Yes, we are to seek for good (article of faith 13) but when something comes claiming to be good, but to the very beginning, it is adulterated with anti-- no reason to continue, in my view. Love to all, and may we all make the best choices possible. Gramajane

Sunday, January 22, 2012

I do feel like my prayers were answered, and I am more than satisfied that I was helped to give my talk better than I could have done it alone. I am sooooo glad it is over though.

My dear husband said I did a great job, (though maybe he is a little prejudiced in my favor) but I know he appreciated that I didn't take (he said) one second over my 1/2 of the time.One father father of five commented to me that his kids were riveted as they listened. Another person came and told us we did awesome, and we should go be professional speech givers. It is gratifying to have people make so many good comments to me. I need to remember to do that when I especially like anothers' talk.

Several said that my talk made them think, and they really appreciated that. I did ask questions, (rhetorical I think is the word) as I didn't need them to answer me. Some said that they loved our talks and were especially glad we didn't read them.

I forgot to mention that if any one wanted more embellishment, etc to come check out my blog. Well, I left out a LOT that I had put on my distilled down one page, but I knew I needed to cut it down at least 1/2 more than than, which did happen it felt naturally (with Heavens' help).

I added a few things that popped into my mind, like that we did have communication with home from our boarding school (which I had said earlier was a little like our Hogworths) but not by any owls delivering messaged, but by something more powerful than a cell phone, as it didn't need to be recharged with electricity, --- humm that isn't quite how I said it, but then, I'm not being helped right now. Anyway then I said something about being connected to the source of all power, God.

Anyway-- I'm glad it "came to pass". It is interesting that as we lived here for the most part of our married life, the most talks I have given have been here, though the building only had the first phase when we first moved here, so part was at the smaller podium in what is now the Primary room.

Oh, several times the Doctrine and Covenants teacher referred back to Rays talk. He did his usual awesome job too, and related 3 stories. One of his mission about a dream he had then about his use of time, which was symbolized by a yard stick of the day, marked with black areas for wasted time and white for the best use, then all the dark was pushes to one side and he was appalled that he had wasted so much (sleep time was black too), then he told how he figured ways to better use his time, like he made flash cards of scriptures to memorize as he rode on the bus and walked etc.

He told stories from his commercial fishing, about choosing to do better as he had a change of heart, from twice within one hour of great frustration, using the Lords name in vain, and pleased that he had never done it again in the 55 years since.

HE told about feeling bad as he had been somewhat rude to a dental hygienist who each year hurt him so bad when he got his teeth cleaned by her, that he went prologize but she was with another client, so he went home and timed exactly how long it took to floss his teeth (32 seconds) and decided to floss the whole year till his next apt. He did that and with one glance in his mouth she pulled back and exclaimed "you've been flossing" and then he apologized and they both got tears in their eyes. That he was never hurt so bad again, either from naturally not having so much to scrap off his teeth, or she was more gentile, he was not sure.

I was so happy for Ray, and he had no such stress over his talk as I did over mine but it was funny, as he admitted that he was determined after I had kept my talk so perfectly in the allotted time, to do the same and that clock watching made him a little awkward.

It was cute though as the sister who leads the hymns said that it was ironic that he stopped right on time, while she wouldn't have minded if he went a whole hour over as he was so interesting to listen to.

So, one analogy I put on my list was about the long time ago TV program. They took two couples, and had them race in a grocery store to see which team could bring to the check out, the groceries that would total more than their competitor, as the couple that won, would get to keep the food, (free) and could resell it if they wished. It was fun to plan what I would do, and try to think what was worth the most and could be gathered with the most speed etc. Learning to work with a partner, and to keep focused etc is important. This also seems to apply to the purpose of life in some ways too-- but of course not perfectly.

I also thought about a vacation to Disneyland as an analogy to this life, that if one knew they would get to go with their family, and depending on the age and situation of their children, what training would need to be given to the children so they would not get lost, and they could make the best use of their time in Disneyland without melt downs from hot, tired, sore muscles, hungry, thirsty, overwhelm etc. as I have seen happen to some families. Sadly some parents would then get angry and demand their children enjoy themselves! Sheeish!

So planning not just for how fast the money will go, (do we bring food with us or spend $ on the very expensive food they have there, but planning for rest stops, for bathroom breaks etc. Having a map, and talking it over with the children to see what things are most important to them to do, as there usually is not time to do it all or to repeat the same events etc. Making use of the map, to find what is close to what, so one is not walking from one side of the park to the other back and forth etc. Planning with the kids what to do if they get separated from the family! Helping them know how to recognize who they should go to for help (part of the trust thing)- what the helpers uniforms look like in this case, or go to a food stand etc.

In life it is much the same as we need to prepare our children for the time they will no longer be with us, but will need to take care of their own needs. Help them learn to learn, and know that they can do what is necessary, and many hard things they can endure, as they HAVE learned to work at our sides. Learn to enjoy the great feeling of getting an important work down well and on time. What great joy!

brings me to *** packing for our trip of a lifetime *** Here we need to prioritize and plan. "if ye are prepared, ye need not fear" So we need to visualize what things we might encounter in the place we are going,and maybe even extend that to in case the airplane gets diverted to a different destination from some emergency?

What is the thing my husband and I have come to realize that we MOST want to bring with us anytime we leave the house or even the room? Did you guess "cell phone?", then you are right. To be able to communicate with each other and our loved ones, to be able to see the phones GPS, call for help, look up info etc. And along with the cell phone, we have learned it is best to take a multi use charger, for the car or for a regular electrical outlet-- or the phone dies and is of not much use!

There is something to me that is way better than any cell phone anyone will ever invent (though there sure are a lot of neat things out!) as this communicator does not need to be recharged with electricity (( though connecting to the source at least once a day helps)) and it puts me in connection with the best info in this world and out of it, along with warning me of dangers etc! It is the miracle of prayer! (did you guess that?) which we can do anywhere, silently or aloud, and know that God will hear us and answer our prayers, though sometimes the answer is no, or not yet.

So-- too, we can improve our "reception" by reading our scriptures and not getting surrounded by things that block that reception (bad places) or getting virus in our works (porn etc) -- there is a lot that can relate in this analogy. So-- too, we can improve our "reception" by reading our scriptures and not getting surrounded by things that block that reception (bad places) or getting virus in our works (porn etc) -- there is a lot that can relate in this analogy.

So just as one needs to learn how to work a new cell phone, one also needs to be trained in prayer. Hopefully ASAP after birth or before!-- with the parents praying for the baby before it is born, and with the baby in their arms for family prayer each night and morning, and talking about their answers they have had from prayer. To be able to decipher the signals from the Holy Ghost, to recognize the feelings/promptings of yes answers, or danger etc. Most people are not blessed with this training in their families, but it is available for those who seek it, in the organization that God has set up to help his children return to their home in heaven, his Church.

Plus there is helpful information many other places, but some is not as accurate, so a person needs to keep seeking, with keeping an open mind, knowing that God hasn't moved away from us, and will always want to communicate with us, but the problem is on our side. Especially if sadly we think "God has ceased to speak to man" then I doubt we would be looking for that, and are then WAY less likely to accept if we find it is supposedly happening to others, true?

So-- from my notes-- a book came to mind, I think the title was something like; "what I needed to know in life, I learned in Kindergarten" ?

Actually, hopefully the most important things are learned before kindergarten! First out of the womb would be "Trust", then communication (first crying), and feeding, and then learning to watch and learn from what we see and hear. Learning to control our bodies and our appetites and passions. Learning to wait and to share. Learning to respect others bodies and things. Learning to clean ourselves (for health and society) with cleaning our surroundings for health, (little children can pick up toys themselves) safety and to save time so things don't get lost or broken etc.

Learning an attitude of Gratitude, as I said earlier is also mega important to help us have a can do attitude and not a victim attitude. Learning to read, and write and the value of money, to ask for help when needed and to dress appropriately for not only weather for modesty etc too. Learning should be a life time occupation!

So, in packing a suitcase, we need to consider as I said above, where we are going, what we will do there, what we can get there instead of taking with us, what to wear, will there be a way to clean our clothes or how long will we be gone so need to take enough etc etc. Among these things then we need to see how to pack them safely.

When one packs, or plans a trip or just a day-- don't we need to consider the most important and the largest time/space users first? Then on down the line, to what we can fit in the last few spaces. Isn't this like our time? When we have less time or space then don't we need to plan the MOST carefully?

Along with planning trips, is finding out what might be something different there that you are not aware of that might be unpleasant or even life threatening? Like chiggers in the Eastern US, or alligators that can hide in a seemingly shallow puddle?? Sometimes the most important thing is to ask God, what is most important!

So, I am needing another break, as I started this around 4am and not it is almost 8am. I think writing it has helped, but I still have more work to do to distill it WAYYYYY down. (God help me!). Gramajane

So, in the scriptures I just posted, I feel that it applies to the topic, as it is about what was most important for them, and it again is about what the gospel means which distills down to the answers to Why am I here, Where did I come from and Where am I going,-- which are the most important things for EVERYONE to know, and why sharing them would be most important.

Remembering again, that the ones who asked, were I believe single men, missionary age?

I believe some of the main things were came to earth to learn were:to trust God, and obey his commandments which will lead us to the most happinessand include getting married and having a family (one of the first commandments that God gave to Adam and Even ((whom I believe he married)) in the Garden of Eden, to multiply.

And that it is a committed marriage, using correct principles of respect,love etc, that we can learn and experience best the things we need to in this life, along with having a helpmeet to develop our talents etc.

I sure know having children lets you know what patience you thought you had was mostly an illusion, as we certainly get tested by our children ;0 but we are not likely to work to develop better what we already think we have mastered. Right?

Which reasoning with the scriptures, is why I also love missionary work, which is helping others to know what is most important (the answers to the questions) so they can get on with their lives.

So if our eternal goal is to become more like Jesus Christ, who led the way in becoming more like his Father, which is what the scriptures also command us to do "Be ye therefore perfect, even as I, or your Father in Heaven is perfect" but that is not to overwhelm us with how impossible that feels, as I understand in Hebrew the word perfect relates to "whole, or complete" not that we have to be perfect in every jot and tittle on the earth now. :)

So, Back to the list of notes (maybe you can see why I have felt overwhelmed to be able to distill all this down into 15 min or less? umm-- yeah!)

is a list of things a person makes that they would like to do before they die (kick the bucket) and how important might it be that the list have relation to the eternities and not to just this world? Big to me! (though I do hope that I will get to learn to ride a horse when it is running at least once on this earth ;) but there are other things I want a LOT -- humongous LOT more! ((besides, that right might bring me out of this life sooner than I had intended- true?))

George MacDonald, who is my all time favorite author, said (among MEGA other great things) to "do that which is before you". In other words, that when we keep doing what we see as most important in the present, that we don't need to worry about the future so very much, as planning for the future might be one of the things just before us (after I wash the dishes ? ;)

I certainly do think better when everything around me is clean and organized.

So, what would I do "If Jesus stood beside me" ? or What wouldn't I do too? That ought to help in choosing what priorities there are. Hopefully I would not waste time, and certainly I wouldn't do anything I would be embarrassed for Jesus to see or know I was doing?

I thought about that the other day, in a conversation with a grown woman who saw nothing wrong with watching bedroom scenes on TV. My thought was, would she do that if the view was not through a TV screen, but through a bedroom window? (I doubt it) and as I doubt it is necessary or even good, to have that direct info about things that should be sacred/intimate-- I do not think God would want us to view others. --- Though I think, just as parents can be happy to see their children go off after their marriage on their honeymoon, and pray that they work things out happily, I do not doubt that God is pleased with a husband and wife,obeying his command to multiply etc. Though I also doubt that he would feel a need to have anyone view it.

So, some things in this life can be avoided to help us, just as some things can be enjoyed within proper boundaries set by God. :) Even eating healthy food can be bad for you if you eat way more than you need most of the time!

So next on my notes list-- One way to set goals is to look at our roles, and the "time and season" of our lives. Right now I have still some same roles, as a daughter of God, a member of my birth family, a wife to my husband, a mother to my family (this role has lessened a GREAT deal as the next came into play) a grandmother to my grandchildren. A neighbor to the world, starting with those close to me and working out (the rings of responsibility here) and so to all the world. :) who are all brothers and sisters and all are spirit children of God.

In being a grandmother, I think (hope) it is less important that I remember each of our 17 grand children's birthdays with a card and a gift (though that is one way to let them know I remember and care for them, but there are many love languages. I think it is most important for them to know that they are loved by me (and many outside of their little family) and that we trust that they will make good decisions and will still love them when they make their mistakes, as God does us.

so I think I'll look back at my notes and continue from there, as maybe if I, or AS I, talk/write about the things I felt were important enough to put in my notes, I will be able to feel what is MORE important to put in the talk this morning. I pray so!!!

So in LDS scriptures, in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 15 and 16 (I am able to remember the references as they are important teen age years ;)there are scriptures that relate quite well to this topic. They are very short, and though contrary to what one might expect to be possible, they are both almost word for word the same. It was for two (if I remember right, single men?) who apparently were both concerned about the same thing, and prayed to God over it and were given these two chapters in answer. Wow-- If I were Joseph Smith, I would be scratching my head, wondering if I were receiving inspiration right to get practically duplicates, but apparently it was right as they totally accepted it!

Anyway- I think I will divert so see if I can copy just one of them to paste in here, as it seems the right thing to do.

"Section 15Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to John Whitmer, at Fayette, New York, June 1829 (see History of the Church, 1:50; see also the heading to section 14). The message is intimately and impressively personal in that the Lord tells of what was known only to John Whitmer and himself. John Whitmer later became one of the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

1–2, The Lord’s arm is over all the earth; 3–6, To preach the gospel and save souls is the thing of most worth.

2 For behold, I speak unto you with sharpness and with power, for mine arm is over all the earth.

3 And I will tell you that which no man knoweth save me and thee alone—

4 For many times you have desired of me to know that which would be of the most worth unto you.

5 Behold, blessed are you for this thing, and for speaking my words which I have given you according to my commandments.

6 And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring csouls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.

So, if we choose our family and our place, nation, state etc, a huge part comes in here to me. Gratitude! We need to look at what good there is and work from there.

Even if we had parents who made mistakes (we ALL have had that) though some parents make a lot more mistakes than others, and maybe we even got adopted ?

Still, I do believe that we were shown bits of our possible future in different choices we could make, with different scenarios (which is where I think De-javu (sp?) come from- but we don't all remember them, but it sure is cool when we do!) and that we thought we would be able to learn and grow from the challenges, and God thought so too, or he wouldn't have offered us the choice. Still we can mess up too, and we all do to some extent, which is why I am so grateful for REPENTANCE! Jesus Christ has made that possible, and with his grace, after all we can do, we will be able to return home to our Father in Heaven and continue to learn and grow to be better people, till we become like Jesus and like God the Father (boy it is a good thing we have eternity to do it in!!!)

I'm feeling the need for a little break here- as I've been working straight for about two hours or more! (May God help me to get my head together to give the talk!)

If we won or were gifted to take a wonderful vacation trip,or what if we got to choose what college we would go to?

what a lot of things would have a big play in what choices we might have?

What do we do here, about going to college? Can we afford it? Can we get accepted? Are any of our good friends going there? How hard is the work? What degree would we graduate with? How is the housing, do they speak our language? Many people do go through this situation!

Can we choose just a vacation, that costs a lot less than a college education?Where would we like to go? Disneyland, Europe, beach, mountains???

What things might enter in to our choice? Can we swim, ski (do we LIKE it?), do we sun burn, could we communicate when we get there? is it dangerous? (I'd love to visit Israel, and many other places but I hear it is not safe!)

Can any of our loved ones go with us? If we are a young single adult, we probably want our good friends, but if we are a young child, we probably want our family (if we love and trust them!) and if we are married with children, we probably want them all (well maybe if some of our children have been very rebellious etc, maybe not :(

Do you think we have SOME choice of where we are born on earth? And who will be our family? I do-- within boundaries of what would be good for us to learn from and for them etc-- only God can know the best fit! I do think we have choice within HIS boundaries.

So what is one of the first things you ask someone you just met? "Where are you from?" (meaning usually, where did you dwell on the earth before) Why does that make any difference? Maybe they just came from a different country, and so need to be given some slack, that they probably don't "get" a lot of our culture. Maybe they came from someplace that we can relate to from our own past, or we can benefit from learning more about etc. --- It does matter, but just as history matters, as the next questions go with it and help us to relate even more.

Why are you here? What do you plan/hope to do in this place? Which helps us to know what their agenda might be, and if we are on the same track or if we can help each other in any way, or possibly if we need to not trust them much. (If they are here to further selfish harmful desires-- drugs etc-- which they may not, make that probably wouldn't tell us, unless they thought we were after the same things!

which leads us to knowing how we learn who we can trust. Hopefully we learned body language as a child, but if those around us were unstable emotionally or morally, their words might not match their actions, which is really hard to deal with, but it can be over come.

It also can be a big help if we learned other languages if they are spoken by people we might come in important contact with. Being able to communicate is so important!

I do not see how to get to the next topics, so this will not be entirely sequential (so sorry about that)

The third question, is Where are you wanting to go, (after your time here), or where do we go after death, which comes with the question, How much time do we have here?Which we may have some idea of, but we do not always get to be the one in charge, death can come suddenly.

So along with how much time will we have here, and where will we go after being here, is the question of what can we take with us when we leave here? This brings me to the story of Maria, a girl from Mexico who worked as a part nanny and did house cleaning for my aunt. After she had worked in the US for some time, she got to go back to Mexico to visit her family. She told me that she was so mad to realize when she got to the boarder, that the radio she had spent money to buy and take as a gift to her family, the Mexican govt required her to pay so much tax on to get it into her native country that she didn't have the money. They said, to put it in the pile over there if she couldn't pay for it, and she expected that the agents were going to collect the things and sell them themselves for the money. She was so mad that she threw the radio against the floor as hard as she could, breaking it, as she said they were not going to profit from her hard work and leave her with nothing.

So, it is important to know what we can take with us. I had a sort of similar situation, when I bought as a fathers day gift for my husband, a really cool screw driver, that had extra bits in a cool holder on it, and it ratcheted plus it had a led light that pointed to what you would work on.

I had forgotten I had it in my carry on luggage (I would have put it in my checked luggage if I had thought about it) and so they were going to take it from me and throw it in the garbage when I went through screening. I felt terrible! I got them to give it to me, and I ran back to where people were getting off the airplane, and found a lady who seemed to be like me and offered her the tool for a loved one, explaining what was happening. She was happy to get it, though I was sad to lose it.

When we leave this life, what can we take with us? NOT things! Even if like the Egyptians, who tried to send gold, food and servants etc it does not work. We can only take what? What we have become in our character, our memories (hop0efully they are good ones of service and joy) what we have learned. As the scriptures say, what knowledge we have learned, will help us be so much farther along in the next life.

There, I said it-- we will still have a life, existence after this one, but I totally doubt it is reincarnation. There have been enough people who have come back from dying and seeing "the other side" that we know that is not true, besides the words of the prophets (latter-day ones have spoken more on this than Bible ones)

I think/hope getting to share on here will help me focus on what is MOST important. Maybe I will type on here what I have gathered in my notes, as that might help, and also then I can know that even if God HAS inspired me to write something in my notes, but I miss giving it in my talk, he could direct others to it here.

So, I plan to just barely expand on the often one word note, not in order of importance, but in the order I wrote them down.

As the saying goes, it takes a lot more time to prepare a short well organized talk on a subject, than to be able to ramble along and manage to pack tons in.

So back again to the topic given-- speaking on what priorities there are in life that God has given us with setting goals for what our mission is to do while here. (I do wish he had given us the topic written down, as I was in a bit of shock, just to be asked and then we had to remember the topic, and not just a one word topic either!)

so- expanding on my notes just a little (not in order!)

---"An immaculate house is the sign of a wasted life"---patriarchal blessings - are guides to what our gifts are, what to watch out for in life.---prioritize, pray first (night and morning and all through the day) for help with what is most important to do-- it is like a compass check, to be sure we are on course--- my blog, might be of some help, ironic how the topics match--- my hobby questions-- I have for years enjoyed a hobby, of when I am having to wait in line, or on an airplane etc, asking some person around me my two hobby questions. the first is "What do you do for fun?" (this is important to me as I tend to focus on work so much myself, and also that it helps the other person relax in speaking with me and in answering questions. --- Second question is "What is the purpose in life?". I have had so fascinating conversations from these questions.

One answer to the second question, was from a rather wild looking guy who rides motorcycles, as he said he guessed the purpose was to survive. I questioned that as nobody does. That took him back a bit and then he said he would have to think on that, as he didn't know.

To me, the answer to this second question is so important, as if you don't know what you are here to do, the likely hood of your accomplishing it is really low. I doubt we are here just to have fun or to "get the most toys before we die".

I feel to jump from my notes a bit (though this is in my later notes) as part of the topic is also contained in "Why am I here, where did I come from and where do I go when I die." Which all presupposes that we are not just a body, but that we have a spirit/intelligence that is eternal.

Speaking of eternal, one suddenly can't become eternal, as to have a beginning (of all-- not just a part of us) is to not BE eternal, you can't just add eternal like frosting to a cake. We can add things TO our eternal core- like adding a physical body to come here is doing that, and then switching that to a resurrected body after the death of this mortal body. But the CORE must be eternal, though it can be growing all the time.

Which gets me to part of the possible ways to my subject or points to make, that I was thinking about last night. Matter is or seems to be eternal-- it can be changed to this or that molecules, but it does not disappear and I understand it can be turned back to what it was before-- even like oxygen. So if things "matter/materials" do not cease to exist entirely, why should we assume that we will?

In a story I read long ago, a man comes to consciousness, alone in the desert, but has lost much of his memory. He does not remember his name or his past, how he got there etc but he does remember mundane things and finds he has some urgent feelings. As I recall it, he feels like he is in danger from someone trying to kill him. He discovers that he must have parachuted down, as he is still attached to a parachute, and he feels he needs to hide/bury the parachute asap and he does. Now he needs to find someone he can trust to help him answer the urgent questions he has, as he had some mission to do but can't remember that either, and he feels that his life is in great danger! Besides being in the desert (no idea which one in the world even) with no food, water, survival equipment or even which direction to go to find what he needs, or if any people he finds will be able to be communicated with in his language.

In a few ways this is like life. We come into life, helpless, feeling emotions, and physical needs.

What is the first thing we NEED? Did you think of --- air ---- but most of us do not go around thinking about air, or talking about it, measuring it etc, it is even something we need to be taught to be careful to have and see that other people have, and that is what will kill us about the fastest if we don't have!

We also probably do not realize (with our minds)) that we need to feel safe, that we can trust that there will be help to fulfill our needs, and even respect/love with that trust. How does a baby learn about trust? From how the caregivers handle them, and fill their needs. Are they left to cry for help, hungry and cold, and when help finally comes, are they lifted gently and are kind loving words/tones used to sooth them? When this happens the baby learns to trust, which is a HUGE thing in life.

Without learning this, life is so much harder, though it is possible with a LOT of work, to learn to trust later. There are levels of trust too, you might trust that someone loves you, but not others, or you might trust that they love you, but they don't know how to intelligently protect and care for you. Issues on issues!

the topic the bishopric member gave to speak on (and same for my husband) is about priorities, goals setting- begin new Year- What is our mission from God etc

I find that ironic= as to me that condenses down to What is the purpose in Life, andHow do we complete our mission here best

I wasn't concerned or scared about speaking until about a day and a half ago, but now the probably 15 min. I will have to account for to God, in addressing the whole congregation feels like a huge MEGA responsibility, especially for the importance of the topic- which IS the very basis of our lives. Now it really weighs on me!

I feel a need to get what MOST needs to be said over so the MOST people listening can understand it, while I have discovered that there are so many different things that could/should be said and ways to say it, with all ages in the group I am to speak to. Even members of other faiths may be there, besides teen ages and children.

I (we) have been praying for days for help to know/prepare what God would have us say. So many ideas have come into my mind, with stories and quotes. I have two pages full of notes and there is no way to say it all, especially as I must not speak too fast or I may not be understood. I need to go through a pick out the the VERY most important things (not an easy task when they ALL seem important). I need to organize the talk so that it is interesting but not overwhelming. I feel I need to give them places to go to get more info to help them. I know that in the last four years, I have only been asked to speak once.

What is kind of extra scary is that time (only second time in my life?) I was prompted while on the stand, during the hymns, that I should not give the talk I had taken so much care to prepare, but ideas came to me in floods of what I needed to talk about. It was incredibly amazing, and super scary at the same time.

The easiest way to prepare is to write out a whole written "talk" but that is the hardest to listen to, and also denies on the spot, inspiration from God--- (though one can get the inspiration ahead of time as the General Authorities do for their talks in the twice a year conferences, where they must write them out, as they must have copies for translators to work from during the talks. )

I like to hear people share but not lecture, and I know how important it is to have the Holy Spirit help you and also help the congregation to understand too.

I was thinking about it, and I think in my whole life, I have probably given less than 25 talks in church, and that is being generous.